charles



(ModeL) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

R. K". CHARLES, COTTON HARVESTER.

No. 314,365. Patented Mar.24, 1885.

J lly-Z. I

INIVEINTOR:

BY flZ ATTORNEYS.

WITNESSES (ModeL) v a s'heets -snee: 2.

. R. K. CHAR I UOTTUN HARVE v No. 314,365. PatentedMar. 24, 1 885.

-l WITNESSES ATTORNEYS.

(ModeL) 3 Sheefs-Sheet 3.

. R. K. CHARLES.

COTTON HARVESTER. v No. 314,365. Patented Mar. 24, 1885.

' WITNESSES:

ATTORNEYS- PATENT Orricn,

ROBERT KELSO CHARLES, OF DARLINGTON, SOUTH CAROLINA.

COTTON-HARVESTER.

SFEEJIPICATZON farming part of Letters Patent No. 31%,355,c1ated March 2%,1885.

Application filed March 1'2, 188-1. (Mod 1.)

T 0 all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, Ronnnr KnLso CHARLES,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Da-rlington, in the countyof Darlington and State of South Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cotton-Harvesters, of which the following is a description.

This invention relates to that class of cotton-harvesters which are drawn on wheels astride the cotton-row to gather the seed-cotton from the pods; and it has for its object to gather the cotton from the growing plants with the least possible damage to them, and to automatically deliver the cotton into a re ceptacle carried on the machine.

To this end my invention consists in the construction and combination of parts forming a cotton-harvester, hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a rear elevation of my invention. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal vertical section showing that portion of the machine beyond the section. Fig. 3 is a plan view with a portion broken away; and Fig. 4 is a section of the pickershafts, showing two pickers on each.

A represents the frame of the machine. The machine is donbler There is a right portion and a left portion, each forming a conr plete selt operating machine, and the two are connected or paired together by the top crossbars or yoke portion of theframe, so as to run astride a cotton-row, each part of the machine reaching in among the cotton branches on its side of the row to pick the lint or seed.- cotton. To accomplish this, a series of gibbous-shaped plates, B, are mounted on a pair oflongitudinal shafts, (I, which arejournaled in the frame and are revolved by the main drive-wheels D, acting through beveled gears E. turning the pickershafts 0 about five revolutions to one revolution of the drive-wheel. The plates are bounded by two convex arcs of a circle, and are rounded at the ends to enable them to part their way among the cotton branches while revolving, and to enable them to crowd any limbs which may chance to lie across the apertures F up out of their path. Each of the plates 13 is perforated near one edge to receive the shaft O, upon which the plates are fixed to projectalternately on opposite sides thereof to balance each other, and their motion is across the path of the machine and upward through the cotton. The front face of each plate isarmed with a great many picking-teeth set like card-teeth to hook in the direction of their motion to pick the cotton. By the revolution of these plates or pickers the seed-cotton is carried through the apertures F in the wall G of the brushbox, and is there stripped from thepickers by rapidlyrevolviug brushes H. The cotton thus accumulates in the brush-box against the t'oot of a revolving toothed apron or belt, I, and is carried up by the belt and thrown into a re movable receptacle, J, where it remains until unloaded by hand.

The brushes H and the belt- I are each revolved by suitable trains of gears and shafts connecting with the main drive-wheels D.

The forward end of the machineissupported upon two caster-wheels, K, in front of which I place sheet-iron guards L, to turn the limbs ofthe cotton-plants out of their paths, said guards converging to the passage between the two parts of the machine to bring the cotton to the pickers. When more than one pair of pickers are provided to the machine, the second pair is placed above. the iirst or lower pair, as in Fig. 4, and so on to adapt the machine to cotton of any height, and the plates of the lower pair of pickers are intended to approach Within about four inches of each other. The plates of the upper pair of pick ers are intended to touch a central vertical plane, in order that they may reach entirely across through the row of cotton-plants. The pickecplates of the upper pair will in each instance pass between the picker-platesofthe next lower pair to a distance of about four inches, to prevent branches being drawn in among them.

The team-pole P is attached to the frame of the machine at the center a of the forward crossbar and extends forward over the tops of the cotton-plants, and carries a yoke, S, above the necks of the team, by which they may guide the machine.

Qis the double-tree or pivoted cross-bar,

to which the single-trees R are attached. The double-tree Q is pivoted to the frame at a, and bends down, like a yoke, to the proper level for attaching the team.

The proportionate sizes of the various gearwheels and the main drive-wheels will be such as to give the speed to the different parts, as in similar devices already known.

The receptacle J is made of wire-cloth supported on a frame, to allow sand and dirt to be jarred out of the picked cotton.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isp 1'. The combination of a rotary shaft, a series of gibbous-shaped plates secured near their edges on said shaft and projecting alternatel y in opposite directions, picking-teeth on one face of each of said plates, and means, substantially as described, for removing the cotton-lint from said teeth, as and for the purpose specified.

2. The combination of the drivewheels D, the shaft G, the gibbous-shaped plates B thereon, the intermediate gearing, as described. the wall G, having apertures F, through which the plates B rotate, the brushes H, and their actuating-gears, substantially as and for the I purpose specified.

3. The combination of the drive-wheels D,

the shafts O, the gibbous-shaped plates B, the

walls G, having apertures F, the brushes H, the toothed belts I, and the receptacle J, removably fixed over the center of the machine to receive the cotton-lint delivered by the two belts, substantially as shown and described.

5. The combination, in a double or straddle-row cotton-harvester, of a team-pole secured to the center of the forward cross-bar of the frame and extended forward above the cotton-plants, and a neck-yoke on the forward end of said pole adapted to be carried above the necks of the team, as and for the purpose specified.

6. The combination,in a double or straddlerow cotton-harvester, of adouble-tree pivoted on the middle of the top of the forward crossbar of the frame and extending down at both sides'of the frame, and means for attaching a team thereto, as and for the purposespecified.

ROBERT KELSO CHARLES.

\Vitnesses:

HENRY E. P. SANDERS, O. D. EVANS. 

